He’s expected to sign off on the tariffs on Thursday. Foreign governments, businesses and key Republicans all argued against them. But they were left without an important ally after the resignation of Gary Cohn, above, formerly Mr. Trump’s economic adviser.

That was Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcing that the Justice Department is suing California over its so-called sanctuary laws. (Those are measures designed to make it more difficult for federal immigration agents to operate there.) Above, protesters outside the hotel where Mr. Sessions spoke in Sacramento.

Gov. Jerry Brown fired back, saying Mr. Sessions was “going to war” against the state, and calling the suit “pure red meat for the base.”

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CreditThe Blue House, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

3. It was an eye-catching diplomatic debut for an enigmatic young dictator.

South Korean envoys were not prepared for how “forthcoming and daring” Kim Jong-un would be as he welcomed them to Pyongyang. They reported that Mr. Kim, third from left in the photo above, was open to negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, and that he would suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests during the talks.

The former spy, Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, remain in critical condition. Above, the scene near the park bench where they were found.

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CreditStephen Speranza for the New York Times

6. The second major winter storm in less than a week hit the northeastern U.S.

Schools were closed throughout the region and the governors of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York declared states of emergency. Parts of New York shook with “thundersnow.” Above, a scene in Brooklyn.

More than 2,600 flights were canceled across the country, and the evening commute was expected to be messy. Here’s the latest.

An opponent of the bill countered with his own proposal: a “Stormy Daniels rampway.” The pornographic-film actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford and who says she had an affair with Mr. Trump, filed a lawsuit claiming that a “hush agreement” was void because Mr. Trump didn’t sign it.

“It has been life changing,” he reported. “Turning off the buzzing breaking-news machine I carry in my pocket was like unshackling myself from a monster who had me on speed dial, always ready to break into my day with half-baked bulletins.”

The digital version of his column, somewhat paradoxically, was among our best-read articles on Wednesday.

And on the late-night shows, Conan O’Brien weighed in on this week’s headlines from Washington. “President Trump claimed there is no chaos at the White House,” he noted. “Just then, a pair of chimpanzees crashed through the Oval Office on a stolen snowmobile.”

Have a great night.

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